machine check - panic *only* on install from cdrom ?

From: jason andrade <jason_at_dstc.edu.au>
Date: Sun, 12 Apr 1998 11:25:54 +1000 (EST)

Hi,

I've got a few DEC 3000/400s, which are aging, but still being
used for things around the place which don't require blazing
speed.

Recently, i needed to reinstall DEC Unix 4.0B on one of them, and
tried to boot from a CD. The machine boots fine, until it reaches
the bit after finding the disks, and probes the PALcode, at which
point it crashes and burns. This only happens if you're booting
from the CDROM (genvmunix?)! I've replaced CDROMS, scsi cables,
OS cds, upgraded the firmware to V5 (7.0), replaced all the SIMMS,
tried with only 32M, and then with 64M. I've also run the memory
exerciser, and other exercisers and never found any problems.

Bizarrely, if i boot from a RZ26, which has dec unix 4.0B installed,
it boots fine, and will run for days without any problems. If i
then reboot from CD, it'll crash out straight away. (4.0b or 4.0d)

I've managed to boot from cd once, when i got a DEC engineer to have
a look at it.. and the blasted thing worked with the engineer in the
room of course. Then he left, and it wouldn't boot again. typical :)

Anyone have ideas/advice ? I need these 3400s to work for about 6
months, and then they'll be pensioned off to good homes and replaced
with new axp boxes.


I've scanned through as much of the archives as i could find, and
haven't found anything exactly like the above problem. Other causes
of this seem to be heat related, or faulty SIMM related, which i
doubt is the case here.

cheers,

-jason
-- 
 jason andrade       dstc pty ltd               jason_at_dstc.edu.au
 senior sysadmin     level 7, gehrmann labs     i just wanna be         
 phn +61-7-33654307  university of queensland   bluemisty
 fax +61-7-33654311  queensland 4072 australia  and barefooted  
Received on Sun Apr 12 1998 - 03:26:57 NZST

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